Because many marinas are located on major estuaries which are designated under the EU's Habitats Directive, obtaining consents for dredging can be very costly and protracted.

Speaking at a lunch for members of the press hosted by the BMF at the Schroders London Boat Show in January, Sally Banham, who is responsible for overseeing project at BMF, said pilot dredging projects were now underway at a number of locations including Fal in the south west of the UK, the Median, on the south coast, and the Humber on the north east coast.

Apart from the BMF, the other organisations involved in the project are the British Ports Association, and the UK Major Ports Group, who, are working with the Cabinet Office, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for Transport, and English Nature, to try to resolve the issue.

Banham reiterated the BMF's view that strong representation from marinas located in these areas will be crucial to the success of the project, in order to highlight to the relevant authorities the fact that, under the legislation, the cost of dredging work has become 'disproportionate.'